“It’s not the size—.” She ducked into a slide, went past him, and cut his heel as she went. Blood spurted.

He bellowed, turning and yanking her up by the hair. Quick as a shifter, he flipped the knife in the air, grabbed the base, and jabbed the handle against her mouth.

Pain shrieked through her lips, and blood spurted. She jerked her head, freeing it. Her entire face felt like it was on fire. Gasping, she wiped her lips with the back of her hand and maneuvered to the side. He took one step toward her, swinging out and backhanding her left cheekbone. Stars exploded behind her eyes, and she careened into the wall.

Tears clogged her vision.

Another punch came out of nowhere, right to her stomach. She doubled over, and her knees went weak.

She kicked out, her heel impacting his nose. Cartilage crunched with a satisfying thud. He yelled and clapped a hand over his bleeding nose. She took advantage of the weakness, jumping up and spinning a kick into his ribs. At least two of them shattered.

He swung out, nailing her in the temple. Her stomach lurched, and she went down.

He grabbed her hair and dragged her over to the examination table, lifting her up and slamming her down. She bounced, and her vision turned black.

He planted a fierce grip around her throat and held her down, scrambling through drawers to the left.

She struggled and tried to stay conscious. For so long, she’d trained to fight him. It couldn’t end like this.

“There.” His voice filled with triumph, and he turned toward her. “I changed my mind.” He squeezed with enough pressure to cut off all oxygen. “First I’m going to stick you full of this shit, and then, if you survive and negate the mating, I’m going to make you mine. You deserve to be fucked and often until you can’t live any longer.”

She struggled, trying to stay awake, trying to free her throat.

He held the syringe up high as if to jam it down into her chest.

She calmed. For years, she’d trained to fight somebody bigger and stronger. Her boys needed her. Daire needed her. The monster couldn’t win. Drawing on strength she’d only hoped for, she lifted her legs, slammed them down on his shoulders, twisted and shoved. He dropped, his head hitting the examination table.

The hand at her throat loosened.

She slashed his wrist with the blade, and he yanked back. Following his movement, she levered up and jammed the scalpel in his eye.

He screamed in unholy pain, his hand dropping the knife and going to his eye.

The room quieted. She centered herself. Grabbing the knife, she propelled herself up on her knees and brought it down in his neck. Blood spurted up, covering her face and burning her skin.

She ignored the pain and shoved with all her weight.

The knife sliced through cartilage and muscle. His body convulsed like a fish stuck on the dock. She set her knees and used her entire body to yank the knife to the right and then the left.

His eyes closed.

She swallowed as more blood flew up to coat her shirt.

Breathing through her nose to keep from tasting blood, she sawed back and forth, using every ounce of strength she owned. Finally, his body dropped to the floor while his head remained on the table.

She released the knife and fell away from the head. Her body shook and her stomach lurched. Blood coated her from head to waist and dotted along her pants. The liquid burned like acid.

The gunfire suddenly stopped outside.

The door flew open and Daire stood there, bloody and battered. His eyes widened as he took her in. “Felicity,” he breathed.

Chapter 31

Daire’s mouth gaped open. The woman was covered with blood. His gut spasmed and he rushed for her, grabbing her biceps. “Cee Cee? Baby?” Slowly, being as careful as he could, he ran his palms down her arms. Then he patted her chest. “You’re okay. You’re going to be okay.” She was still standing, although shock filled her eyes and she began to sway.

He shook her. “Stay awake.” She had to be all right. “Please. I need you.” He pushed both hands through her bloody hair. “I love you.” He wanted to shout the words, but whispering them might save her. Somehow. If she allowed him to help her.

She smiled, her eyelids fluttering.

“No.” He yanked off the shirt to find the wound. Forget taking it slow and courting her. She was his, damn it.

Her chest looked intact.

He patted down her legs and then turned her around, scouting every inch and finally shooting his hands into her hair. “You’re all right,” he said slowly.

She nodded and turned. A low sob escaped her, and she fell into his chest.

He patted her back, and only then did he see Ivan’s head on the table. The body had fallen down on the other side next to a guy slowly regaining consciousness. “Honey?”

She leaned back, and tears streaked down her face. “Not my blood.”

Three better words had never been invented. Daire stepped away and ripped his shirt off to shove over her head. He reached for a paper towel and quickly wet it, wiping off her face. Demon blood burned skin. “You killed him?”

She nodded, her face paling under a couple of quickly purpling bruises. “I said I was going to.”

Aye, she did. He grasped her hand and saw the empty syringe on the floor. His world stopped. “Did they inject you?”

“No.” Her fingers threaded through his. “We’re still mated.”

His body settled. “Good.” Leading the way, he kept his body between her and danger. She’d taken out Ivan, and damn if that didn’t make Daire want to roar in pride, but that was her last fight to the death. Ever. Unfortunately, with planekite living in the walls around them, his strength was slowly ebbing. “Keep on my six.”

“Go left. I think Logan is to the left,” she said, her hand trembling in his. “Wait a minute. You should stay here—there’s planekite everywhere.”

“I’m fine—don’t worry. Zane and Sam are fighting their way here, and we can’t wait. The alarm went out the second we landed.” Dizziness still catapulted through his head, but he shook it off in order to fight. Teleporting was not for him, that was for damn sure. Or maybe it was the planekite messing with his equilibrium. He loped into a jog, and the hallway narrowed. A soldier ran toward him from a locked door, and he lifted a gun he’d taken off a demon soldier, firing off two shots. The guy dropped.

Felicity shook her head and pointed at a metal doorway in the rock. “I think the mine is that way.”

He halted. “We don’t know who’s waiting on the other side.” More than anything, he wanted to grab Sam and have him take her to safety, but Logan’s time could be limited. “How about you wait here for Sam?” Daire asked, releasing her.

“No.” She slid to the side.

That’s what he’d figured. “Fine, but get on this side of the door.” He slapped the gun into her hand. When he opened the metal, she’d be protected on the other side.

She opened her mouth to argue.

“No.” He nudged her gently out of the way. “I know you’re a badass who can fight, but I need you there so I can concentrate. My weakness, not yours.” Because he fucking loved her. One thing at a time, and he had no problem confessing to a weakness if it kept her alive.

She stayed put, settled her stance, and gripped the gun.

“Plus, gotta be honest. The planekite around us is messing with my system, and my aim is surely off.” He slowly opened the door. Nothing. “Come on,” he whispered, sliding inside a stone hallway similar to the one he’d just left, sans the carpet. Mining lights shone along the walls, and he stalked silently, heading down gradually.

Silence pounded eerily around him. The mining operations probably halted when the alarm had gone out. Chances were the miners weren’t soldiers and had headed for safety. Even so, if Logan was being kept in the mine, there’d be more soldiers to fight. “What makes you think Logan is down here?” he asked.